Wab Kinew apologizes after the Wasyliw affair at the opening of the new session

After a summer break, Manitoba politicians attended the re-opening of Parliament on Wednesday at the Legislative Assembly. In his first speech, Prime Minister Wab Kinew apologized to the lawyers he might have offended in the Wasyliw affair.

The fall session marks the first since the New Democrats expelled Mark Wasyliw from their caucus two weeks ago. The Fort Garry MP was sanctioned by the party because one of his colleagues is the lawyer for Peter Nygard, the disgraced former fashion mogul. He now sits as an independent.

The Prime Minister’s explanations regarding this expulsion immediately sparked an outcry in the legal community, among others, at the Manitoba Bar and the Manitoba Crown Attorneys’ Association. They argued that defense lawyers play an important role in ensuring everyone’s right to be represented in court.

Wab Kinew apologized to Gerri Wiebe, the lawyer representing Peter Nygard. The latter said she was dissatisfied that the NPD harms the reputation of criminal defense lawyers.

My desire for transparency with the people of Manitoba should have outweighed my deep respect for the independence of the justice system. All I should have said publicly is that there are irreconcilable differences with this MP and we wish him wellsaid Wab Kinew. I also want to say this. I apologize to the defense lawyers, because you have an important role in our society.

The prime minister did not say what made him change his mind and did not speak to reporters waiting in the room after question period.

Wab Kinew also apologized directly to Gerri Wiebe in a private setting. The latter indicated that she had accepted the apology from the Manitoba premier.

He said it was not appropriate for him to characterize defense lawyers the way he did and apologizedsays Gerri Wiebe. All I wanted was to make it clear that the work of a defense attorney is an important and necessary part of the justice system.

Mark Wasyliw responded by asking why it took the Prime Minister so long to arrive at this position. This would have mattered more several weeks ago. he said.

The Progressive Conservatives gave up part of their speaking time during question period so that the independent MP could have the opportunity to ask questions of his former colleagues.

Mark Wasyliw accused Wab Kinew of being a dysfunctional bullywhich the Prime Minister denied.

The Progressive Conservatives also asked the ethics commissioner to look into Wasyliw’s accusations against the prime minister. Each of the Progressive Conservative MPs made this appeal during their speaking time.

The speaker of the chamber, Tom Lindsey, deplored the fact of having been involved, against his will, in the Wasyliw affair.

Let me be clear, for all members of this chamber. It is not appropriate for the Speaker of the House to be brought into the political arena and used for strategic purposeshe said Members of the assembly will certainly have differences of opinion, and it is entirely appropriate that they be discussed and debated. My role is to chair the discussions.

On September 17, Wayne Ewasko asked the Speaker of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly to open an investigation into allegations of bullying and the toxic environment.

The legislative menu

During this session, the NDP government will focus part of its efforts on passing its omnibus budget bill.

This project, which implements many of the changes planned in the budget drawn up in the spring, is criticized by the Progressive Conservative Party for being too general.

The government has inserted non-budgetary elements into this bill, including a measure that would prohibit employers from using replacement workers during labor disputes.

The provincial government is also promising new legislation in the coming weeks to control the sale of machetes to fight crime.

During this first day, the Progressive Conservatives deplored a budget deficit of 2 billion and health cuts that they put on the balance sheet of the NPD

The NPD boasts, for its part, an excellent record regarding its promise to restore the health system and denies having inherited the poor budgetary management of the Progressive Conservatives.

This argument will not hold water in a year, says Félix Mathieu, political scientist at the University of Winnipeg.

Minister Sala said last week that we are in this situation because of the irresponsible action of the former government. We’ve been in the saddle with Wab Kinew and his team for a year now. It is difficult to place all the blame on the previous government. We’re really going to have to take the credit and the challenges that come with ithe said.

The fall legislative session is scheduled to run through Dec. 5, with 28 question periods remaining. (New window)

With information from The Canadian Press and Catherine Moreau